7 Answers
7

It involves filling a clean milk carton or juice container with water, freezing it and then bashing it against a wall to crush the ice. I guess the container has to be quite sturdy to take the beating without breaking. Could be worth a try.

even just bashing against the work surface works. @Zanlok I'd forgotten some rolling pins are more complex than others you're right that some could get damaged. Mine are heavy wooden or plastic tubes with or without fixed handles.
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vwigginsFeb 15 '11 at 11:24

I have done this in high school - we needed a boatload of crushed ice for thermodynamics experiments. It works, but notice that the tea towel will never be the same. If you apply enough enthusiasm to the job, you can actually get holes.
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Walter A. AprileJun 27 '11 at 12:37

I think that you can use that mixer/slicer combo for it.
Such device is often used to slice fruits, or even meat in tiny pieces, you just do short bursts of knives, like 2 seconds and then see if its tiny enough.

Search for "Snow Cone Machine" at Amazon.com. The one I linked to is $20.00 (US), does that qualify as "expensive"? Granted, shipping to Cape Town may be a bit higher, but you should be able to find something closer to you than Cleveland, USA. However, at the current exchange rate something in The US might be cheaper for you...